Northbridge Administration Services & Financial Consulting

Financial Services Guide

Our advice is all about superannuation as it effects your company, your policy committee or trustee and your employees. Before we carry out work on your behalf you have the right to ask us about our charges, the type of advice we will give you and what you can do if you have a complaint about our services.

This Financial Services Guide (FSG) is to inform you of certain basic matters relating to our relationship prior to us providing you with a financial service. The matters covered by the FSG include, who we are, how we can be contacted, what services we are authorised to provide to you, how we (and any other relevant parties) are remunerated, details of any potential conflicts of interest and details of our internal and external dispute resolution procedures and how you can access them.

It is intended that this FSG should assist you in determining whether to use any of the services described below.

You should also be aware that you are entitled to receive a Statement of Advice whenever we provide you with any advice which takes into account your objectives, financial situation and needs. The Statement of Advice will contain the advice, the basis on which it is given and information about fees, commissions and associations which may have influenced the provision of the advice.

In the event we make a recommendation to acquire a particular financial product (other than securities) or offer to issue or arrange the issue of a financial product, we must also provide you with a Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) containing information about the particular product which will enable you to make an informed decision in relation to the acquisition of that product.

Key information is set out in answer to the questions below.

What you need to know before you get our advice

Who is my adviser?

Your adviser is a representative employee of Northbridge Financial Solutions Pty Ltd ("NFS") an Authorised Representative (#283108), of Community and Corporate Financial Services Pty Ltd, ABN 44 079 121 136, ("ComCorp"). The details about your individual adviser are included in the attached Adviser Profile:

David Lewis
Jim Hando

Who is responsible for the advice given to me?

ComCorp holds an Australian Financial Service Licence No. 225085 issued by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission and is responsible for the advice you receive.

The Principals of NFS have been advising on superannuation matters for many years. Your NFS adviser is authorised by ComCorp to act on its behalf.

ComCorp was formed in 1987. There are no ownership links with any investment providers, which means no investment manager has any financial influence over its potential selection as one of our preferred investment managers.

All advice provided by your adviser on behalf of ComCorp is supported by research conducted by NFS and by ComCorp's internal Technical Department. ComCorp is a Principal Member of the Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA) and is committed to complying at all times with the FPA's Code of Ethics and Rules of Professional Conduct.


What kinds of financial services are you authorised to provide me and what kinds of products do these services relate to?

NFS and your Adviser are authorised by ComCorp to provide personal and general advice and to deal on behalf of both retail and wholesale clients.

We are authorised to advise on and deal (apply for, acquire or dispose of financial products on behalf of another) in the following products:

Superannuation including allocated pensions, term allocated pensions, rollovers, personal and Corporate Superannuation products

Your adviser will explain the range of products he can advise on.

There are a vast number of investment and other financial products from which to choose and no financial planner can possibly undertake research on all of them. Accordingly, like other financial planning organisations, the products we recommend are all selected from an approved list of products carefully researched and approved by our research process.

How will I pay for the service?

We will charge for our services in several ways:

Before commencing a project for you NFS will provide you with a Letter of Engagement setting out the objectives of the project, the time to completion and the fee range for the task. If circumstances arise during the course of the work which could be expected to increase the cost then we will discuss this matter with you and agree a revised fee basis.
We carry out some work on a retainer basis. Here we will agree with you the work you can expect from us and the annual fee we will charge for it. The fee will normally be payable quarterly in advance.
For smaller projects we may simply bill you on completion or provide a verbal indication of the fee before commencing the work, if you ask us.
While not our preferred manner of remuneration we will sometimes work on a commission basis. We will fully disclose the amount and basis of these commission payments to you before we commence the work.

All time and services are documented and invoiced for you to check. Fees for services may be tax deductible.

Irrespective of the upfront payment method chosen occasionally Comcorp may receive ongoing commissions from the product provider for as long as the investment or policy remains in force. This again would be fully disclosed to you before you agree to the arrangement.

Full details of fees payable will be detailed with the Statement of Advice (or in a Letter of Engagement as stated above) if you obtain personal advice from your adviser.

Do any relationships or associations exist which might influence my adviser in providing me with the financial services?

In providing advice to you should be aware of the following matters which you may consider could influence us in our work for you.

Two of the directors of NFS have a significant interest in Northbridge Administration Services Pty Ltd ("NAS"). This company provides recruitment services to its clients, including many financial institutions whose products could be included in recommendations made by NFS.
Two of the directors of NFS have a significant interest in Northbridge Financial Consulting Pty Ltd ("NFC"), a company which provides actuarial and other advice on superannuation issues.
The directors may have other interests which could be considered to influence their advice. If this is the case these interests will be disclosed to you in writing before you agree to use our services.


Do you receive remuneration, commission, fees or other benefits in relation to providing financial services to me and how is that calculated?

As explained above we do not normally take commissions on corporate superannuation products.

Where commissions are taken, the commissions received in the first instance by ComCorp, may be in the form of an up-front payment, an ongoing monthly payment, or a combination of the both. Irrespective of the upfront payment method, ComCorp may receive ongoing commissions from the product provider for as long as the investment or policy remains in force. These amounts are paid to ComCorp on a monthly basis by the product issuer, and ComCorp then pays your adviser on a monthly basis. Your adviser may be entitled to up to 95% of the upfront and ongoing fees and commissions described above, with ComCorp retaining the balance. If another party has referred you to us, we may also pay that party a fee ranging from 0% to 50% of the initial and ongoing fees and commissions.

Up-front commissions for superannuation products usually range between 0% and 5% of the amount invested, and ongoing commissions usually range between 0% and 1% pa of the balance of the investment. The product provider will generally deduct these payments from your funds based on the amount you have invested. For insurances arranged in the corporate superannuation master trust, commissions usually range between 10% and 20% of each year's premium. These commissions will vary depending on the product and product issuer.

ComCorp also receives up to 0.2% of total funds invested as a fund manager commission from some product managers, including Aviva Australia Group (Aviva), Macquarie, and Colonial First State. In the case of Aviva, up to 2% of the subsidy is not paid in cash but is provided in the form of compliance, research, and administration support services facilitated through n-able Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Aviva. For example, if you invested $50,000 into one of these products, ComCorp may receive up to an additional $100 per annum. The additional commission is paid as a portion of the standard management or administration fee and is not an additional charge to you. ComCorp also has a facility in place with AVIVA, whereby AVIVA advanced ComCorp money, free of interest, repayable based on expected future commissions.

ComCorp also receives financial support each year from product issuers that it recommends and applies this money to adviser training, conferences and marketing initiatives. ComCorp has been supported by Challenger, Merrill Lynch, Citigroup, BT, Portfolio Partners, AVIVA, ING, HSBC, Advance, Zurich, and Macquarie. This support is not an additional cost to you. In addition, ComCorp may receive subsidised training, software, and research from product providers we recommend, but the value of these benefits is difficult to calculate. Our advisers are prohibited from accepting gifts from product issuers in excess of $300 in value.

Your Statement of Advice will detail the exact amount of any fees, commissions and other benefits ComCorp, NFS, and your adviser will receive, as well as any conflicts of interest that may arise, as a result of the recommendations. If another party has referred you to us, it will also outline the exact amount paid to that party.


What you need to know when you get our Advice

Will you give me advice which is suitable to my investment needs and financial circumstances?

Yes - but to do so we need to find out your individual investment objectives, financial situation and needs before we recommend any product or services to you. In general, we only recommend a product to you after considering its suitability for your individual needs, objectives and financial circumstances. However, if you so instruct, we will provide you with general advice or reports on products or simply execute transactions on your behalf. In these cases it is up to you to consider whether those products are suitable for your own needs, objectives and financial circumstances.

You have the right not to divulge this information to us, if you do not wish to do so. In that case, we are required to warn you about the possible consequences of us not having your full personal information. You should read these warnings carefully.

What should I know about any risks of the investments or investment strategies you recommend to me?

It is important that you understand and accept the various risks contained in any investment or investment strategies, which we recommend to you. We will explain any significant risks of investments and strategies, which we recommend to you. If these are still not clear to you, you should ask us for further explanation.

What information do you maintain in my file and can I examine my file?

We maintain a record of your personal profile, which includes details of your investment objectives, financial situation and needs. We also maintain records of any recommendations made to you.

We are committed to maintaining and promoting a privacy policy, which will ensure the privacy and security of your personal information. A copy of our privacy policy is available for your information on the ComCorp website www.comcorpfs.com.auor www.northbridgeadmin.com.auor by request.

Can I tell you how I wish to instruct you to buy or sell my investment?

You may specify how you would like to give us instructions. For example by telephone, fax, email or by other means. This initial advice should be in writing.

If you have any complaints

Who can I complain to if I have a complaint about the advisory service?

If you have any complaint about the service provided to you, you should take the following steps:

Contact your adviser about your complaint. Telephone (02) 9929 2700, Fax (02) 9929 3800
If you feel that your complaint is not satisfactorily resolved then please put your complaint in writing and send it to:

Community and Corporate Financial Services Pty Ltd

Attn: Technical Manager

PO Box 12227

George Street

BRISBANE QLD 4003.

ComCorp will try to resolve your complaint quickly and fairly.

If the issue remains unresolved, you can contact the Financial Industry Complaints Service (FICS) on 03 9629 7050 or Freecall 1800 335 405 or in writing at:

PO Box 579 Collins Street West, Melbourne VIC 8007 Toll free for consumers 1300 780808 or fics@.fics.asn.au.

If your concerns involve ethical conduct you may wish to raise your concerns in writing with the Financial Planning Association of Australia Limited (FPA). They can be contacted at PO Box 109, Collins Street West, MELBOURNE VIC 8007.

Finally, the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) also has an info line on 1300 300 630 which is available to discuss any issues and obtain information about investors' rights.

Privacy Issues

ComCorp is committed to protecting your privacy and abides by the National Privacy Principles established under the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act, 2001. A complete copy of ComCorp's Private Policy and a summary of the National Privacy Principles is available upon request or on ComCorp's website.

The Corporations Act and Australian Securities and Investment Commission regulations require us to obtain and hold detailed information that personally identifies you and/or contains information or an opinion about you in order to provide you with appropriate financial advice. We will only collect, maintain and use this information if it is necessary for us to provide to you appropriate financial advice.

Failure to provide the personal information referred to above may expose you to higher risks in respect of the recommendations made to you and may affect the adequacy or appropriateness of advice we give to you. We may disclose your Personal Information to superannuation funds, product issuers, and insurance providers for the purpose of implementing recommendations made by us. Under the privacy rules if you wish to examine your file your adviser can make arrangements upon your request.